


Of Donuts and Hairbrushes

by HalfChance



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Adaptation, Awkward Flirting, Donuts, F/F, Gen, Gender Confusion, Multi, Redemption, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, non-binary characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 01:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3591873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalfChance/pseuds/HalfChance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Come home with me.” </p><p>Jasper looked down at the gem in surprise, eyebrows raised. “What?” </p><p>“Steven has been saying you should stay with us for a while now! You can, you can help train him! To be a general or whatever! For when the Homeworld gems come! And, and, you know tech and we need to learn more about the modern tech the Homeworlds have and you’re strong, and we can be together! If they start to pick on you, I’ll defend you and vice versa!” Amethyst eyes practically glowed. </p><p>“I don’t know… I did beat the shit out of Garnet, called Pearl defective, injured and possibly traumatized Steven…”</p><p>“But he thinks you can be good! He thinks you have a chance! And to be honest, Steven calls the shots in our house, no matter what Garnet thinks.”</p><p>Jasper sighed. “What the hell. Okay.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Donuts and Hairbrushes

**1**

“You don’t know what’s like! To be so hated for what you are, and you can’t help being made!”

Jasper scowled, straining against the whip. “What do you know, runt? You've been on Earth your whole life, you've been surrounded by people who love you since you were mined, and me? You know what’s like to be a Kindergarten gem on Homeworld?”

Amethyst added another whip to Jasper’s binds. “Do know what Pearl has been like? Even before Rose left, she hated me. She would go out of her way to hurt me, to scorn me, and she’s always been  _so damn critical!!_ ” She wiped tears from her eyes. “And then Rose died and she only got worse. Every time I tried to help, it was just ‘Amethyst that’s wrong, Amethyst straighten up, Amethyst we failed because of you!’ At least Rose would jump in and stop her!

“And Garnet’s no help! She won’t say anything! She’s perfectly content in there, she doesn’t have to deal with us! And then I thought maybe Greg could help, but he only paid attention to me because I reminded him of Rose! You know what that’s like? When you’re only good to have around because you look like someone?”

Jasper was silent.

Amethyst calmed down eventually, stopped sobbing and simply stood with her head down. She let the whips holding Jasper down go but the gem didn't run or attack.

Instead, she moved forward and hugged Amethyst.

“Look. Yeah, you have it tough here, but for different reasons from me. On Homeworld, if you’re a Kindergarten gem, they all look down on you. They treat you like trash, and you even begin to feel like trash too. And maybe, just maybe, if you get everything right, win everything, you’re perfect at everything, then maybe, just maybe, they’ll treat you equal. But me? I lost a war.

“I’m supposed to be a general. And they sent me with Peridot, the whiniest gem in the universe, to come check on the same backwater planet I lost the war on. Talk about adding insult to injury, huh?”

They stood in silence, Amethyst’s face buried into Jasper’s solid stomach and Jasper’s huge hands on the tiny gem’s back.

“Come home with me.”

Jasper looked down at the gem in surprise, eyebrows raised. “What?”

“Steven has been saying you should stay with us for a while now! You can, you can help train him! To be a general or whatever! For when the Homeworld gems come! And, and, you know tech and we need to learn more about the modern tech the Homeworlds have and you’re strong, and we can be together! If they start to pick on you, I’ll defend you and vice versa!” Amethyst eyes practically glowed.

“I don’t know… I did beat the shit out of Garnet, called Pearl defective, injured and possibly traumatized Steven…”

“But he thinks you can be good! He thinks you have a chance! And to be honest, Steven calls the shots in our house, no matter what Garnet thinks.”

Jasper sighed. “What the hell. Okay.”

“Really?! That’s fantastic! You’re going to have so much fun!” She took the larger gem’s hand and began leading her back towards the city. “I can show you junk food and what eating is and arcades, and, ooh, you’re going to love sleeping!”

For a moment, Jasper almost smiled.

**2**

Steven woke to Jasper, doing push-ups, with Amethyst sitting on her back, eating cereal.

“Mornin’ Steven!” Amethyst waved her spoon, sending soggy flakes flaying across the room. Jasper looked up, her hair partially covering her face.

“Good morning, Tiny Rose.” She dropped all the way to the floor and began to roll. Amethyst, catching the hint, hopped off her back. Jasper moved into position for sit-ups.

Steven glanced around the room, noting the futon in the corner and steaming pancakes on the counter, not to mention the six and a half foot tall wall of muscle named Jasper currently working out on his living room floor. He decided to address the most important issue.

“‘Tiny Rose’?” He shuffled past Jasper quickly, giving her a wide berth.

“Pearl explained to me about who you are, that you’re not just a human but rather Rose Quartz in an alternate form. If you want me to call you Steven, I guess that’s okay. But I would rather call a worthy opponent by their true title.” Jasper rose to her feet, stretching. “Also, I spent a few hours studying your human ‘internet’. I understand you need food to survive?”

“Um, yeah. Thanks! The gems never make me breakfast!” He broke a piece off, putting it into his mouth slowly, worried that this might turn out just like the time when Pearl attempted to make breakfast. He was shocked when they did actually taste like pancakes.

“Is it nutritious?” Jasper rest her elbows on the counter, propping her face up with her giant hands. “Wait, no, humans say ‘is it good’ when talking about food, right?”

Amethyst shrugged but Steven nodded. “Right! You’re getting the hang of this already! These even taste like pancakes!”

Jasper frowned. “Why would pancakes taste like anything else? Amethyst, you didn’t tell me food could taste like other foods.”

Again, Amethyst shrugged, moving into the kitchen to search the fridge for something.

“Oh, food can taste like different foods all the time!” Steven shoved his plate aside, hopping down from his seat. “Chips can taste like cheese or sour cream and onion or barbeque, and ice cream can taste like strawberry or chocolate or butter pecan and soda, well, don’t even get me started on soda!”

Jasper nodded, following Steven to the base of the stairs leading to his room. “Weird. Why not just eat chocolate or barbecue instead? Why would someone require this substitute?”

Steven tugged his shirt on, searching for a pair of pants. “What if you want cheese but you can’t have dairy? Or you can’t buy cheese? Enter flavored chips!”

He ran back down the stairs, fully dressed, and snatched his sandals from beside the door. Jasper watched him, awaiting a fuller answer. “I still don’t understand.”

“Why don’t I show you then? We can go into town together and get different foods and I can introduce you to everyone!” Steven went, snatched his phone from the charger, and turned back to Jasper, waiting for an answer.

Jasper frowned. “I didn't know there were any humans around here.”

“Oh there are lots of humans around here! Sadie, Lars, my dad, Ronaldo, Peedee, maybe not Onion, I don’t actually know about him.” He began listing them off on his fingers like he did for Peridot in the Kindergarten.

“Connie! Don’t forget Connie!” Amethyst fished a can of soda out of the fridge, guzzling it.

“And Connie! She’s like, my closest friend!” Steven rocked back and forth on his heels, staring up into Jasper’s eyes. “So, what do you think? Wanna come out and meet everyone?”

She opened her mouth to answer only to be cut off by the warp pad.

Pearl stepped off, eyed Jasper, and called out, “Amethyst, we need you back for a mission, Garnet overestimated herself. And no, Steven, you can’t go.”

Before anyone could say anything, she walked over, grabbed Amethyst, and got back onto the pad, leaving again.

“Okay. That was weird.” Steven turned back to Jasper. “Still wanna go into town?”

“Um. Yeah. The way Pearl was looking at me, I’m sure I am not wanted here.” She opened the door. “You first, Tiny Rose.”

Steven hesitated. “Can you change your clothes? Your bodysuit is a little…”

Jasper raised an eyebrow. “A little what?”

“A little… well, intimidating. You’re kinda scary looking.” Steven lightened up, face brightening suddenly. "Hang on a minute! I have just the thing!” He rushed away, digging through a bookcase and pulling out a magazine.

He flipped through, to a dog-eared page, and rushed back over to Jasper, showing it to her. “Can you change to this? I think this would be really cute on you!”

She eyed the page and shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

**3**

They were mid-attack when the realization hit Pearl.

“We left Steven alone with Jasper!” She turned to Garnet, only to be hit in the face with one of the thing’s tentacles.

“He’ll be fine!” Amethyst came up, hurling a rock with her whip. “Just trust me here!”

“We need to get back! Steven is in danger!”

“He’s fine!”

**4**

Sadie had seen a lot weird people enter the Big Donut in the time she had worked there. She could probably write a book on them all.

But this was by far the weirdest.

Steven, being trailed by a huge six and a half foot tall woman with muscles the size of Sadie’s head. The woman’s appearance was only made odder by her high waist shorts, loose white top, cardigan with smiling cartoon fruits on it, giant infinity scarf, sunglasses, and sandals.

She looked like a Hollister model. If said Hollister model shot up on steroids before hitting the runway.

Steven seemed completely at ease with her, grabbing her hand and tugging her to the counter, where she stood behind the boy. “Jasper, meet Sadie! Sadie, this is Jasper, the newest edition to our little family!”

Jasper, who, Sadie noted, looked bored but intrigued somehow, nodded at Sadie. “As humans say, what up?”

“Um, not much. Lars is running late, but I have everything under control. So… what do you two want?”

“Just two of the usual please!” Sadie shuffled around the shop, picking out doughnuts and the like, all while avoiding Jasper’s eyes, trying her best not to squirm under the woman’s intense gaze. She brought the bag over, which Steven handed off to startled Jasper, who stared down at the bag as if it were a loaded gun, and paid for their purchase.

“Okay, so now, we sit at a chair! Like at home!” Jasper followed him to one of the plastic chairs, squeezing into the seat, but just barely. The metal creaked under her weight and she had tucked her legs up to her chest. 

Sadie watched her open the bag, pulling a doughnut out and handing the bag to Steven, who tore into the bag with much gusto. Jasper examined the thing in her hand, rolling it over and watching the way the grease smeared her palms with a sort of disgust.

“So, what, do I just chew and swallow?”

Steven nodded. “Yeah, just like me.” He demonstrated, tearing into the doughnut.

Jasper followed, perking up after the first bite, and finishing it off without further question. Sadie watched, lost in thought. She realized Jasper wasn't like the other gems. All the others were obviously female. If it weren't for the clothes, she could pass as male. Not even the hair couldn't truly sway a decision. 

Just as they rose to leave was when Sadie chose to strike. She managed out a quick, “Wait!” before rushing out from behind the counter.

Steven stopped with a hand on the door, which in turn made Jasper halt, both turning at the sound of Sadie’s cry. When the gem’s eyes fell on her, Sadie froze up briefly, before bursting out, “Um, this is rude kinda and I know it’s sudden, but are you, or, um, err, do you have a gender?”

Jasper frowned, a confused frown that creased into her cheeks and face. “Steven, what is a gender again?”

“Um. I don’t really understand the concept either. But to make it basic, are you a boy or a girl?”

“Oh, human sexes and pronouns.” She turned back to Sadie. “I looked into this last night. I am what humans call genderless, all gems are. We don’t really reproduce like you… squishies. But, we often use your ‘female’ pronouns and if I were human, I’d be female. I like the clothes and culture. I guess the others would be too, but I don't actually know.”

Sadie nodded, her eyes taking on a mesmerized look. She blushed as she asked, “Um. Can I have your number? N-Not because I’m weird or anything! It’s just, maybe we could meet for coffee later on? You know, just to talk. About stuff.”

Jasper nodded, scratched the numbers onto a napkin with a pen Sadie handed to her with shaking hands, and gave it to Sadie. “It’s Steven’s cell number, but it should do, I guess.”

Sadie simply gave another dazed off nod as she took the napkin. Steven, who had been watching all of this with a faraway look of awe, followed Jasper out the door and almost began squealing.

Until Jasper asked, “Steven, what’s coffee?”

**5**

Lars was not expecting the first thing for Sadie to say to him when he walked in the shop to be, “I just scored a date with the hot new alien chick!” in a singsong tone.

That was something he expected Ronaldo to say.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Someone said "Redemption!AU" and I awoke. Then someone said "Jasper/Amethyst" and I said "Hell to the motherfucking yes."
> 
> This will be written out to the full extent eventually? It's broken up the way it is because I originally planned for drabbles, not a full story.


End file.
